Electric switch



Sept. 25, 1945. i w, ussow 2,385,507

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [NVENTOR Sept. 25, 1945.

W. A. GUSSOW ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a wx Patented Sept. 25, 1945 ELECTRIC SWITCH William A. Gussow, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Southern States Equipment Corporation, a

corporation of Alabama Application July 28, 1943, Serial No. 496,675

8 Claims.

The invention relates to the general type of switch in which a blade is pivoted upon a hinge contact member about which it is rockable into and out of engagement with a stationary jaw contact, and particularly to a switch in which addi tional pressure is applied between blade and contact after the blade is in closed circuit position and in which that pressure is released before the blade starts its opening motion.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a side view of a single pole switch unit in which this invention is used; Fig. 2 shows in large scale some parts of the switch in open position; Fig. 3 i similar to Fig. 2 but with the switch closed;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the switch in closed posimanner. The switch arm 8 consists of two blades 9, 9 which are pivotally centered upon 4 by the hinge studs I0, l and each blade 9 carries a pressure bar H, which i preferably a rigid casting that extends substantially th length of the blade 9.

The shaft I2 is integral with the clevised lever [3, it is rotatably mounted between the blades 9, 9 and it also has sleeve bearings for th pressure bars H, H. Near each end of shaft I2 is a squared portion upon which are carried the cups l4, l4; and the nuts l5, l5 hold the cups l4, I4 at an adjustably fixed distance from one another.

On each side, the collar I6 is rotatably mounted upon the bar as shown; and integral with the collar l6 are three inclined surfaces ll-|'l which are coordinated with the three rollers l8l8 which are mounted in fixed positions within th cup l4. The other collar I6 is similar but the surfaces I'l-I1 slope in the opposite directions. Two adjusting screws l9, l9 are threaded into projections l9, [9' on bar H and they bear against collar IE to provide means to rotate the collar l6 about its center and so adjust the fixed position of the surfaces llll relative to the bar ll. At the jaw end of each blade 9 the projection 20 extends into a recess in the spring unit 2| and the screw 22 bears in the recess in the other end of unit 2|. The unit 2| consists of the spring 23 and the discs 24, 25 which by means of nut 26 hold the spring under a fixed initial compression and which also allow further compression when the discs are pressed towards one another. A similar spring unit 21 is at the hinge end of each bar I l, but in this case the short hinge stud I0 is rigid with the contact member 4 and so serves as a hinge pivot for the blade 9 a well as being a support for the spring unit 21. The screw 28 provides adjusting means between bar II and spring unit 21.

The pivot 30 supports the operating arm 3| which has at its swing end the ring 32 for receiving a suitable insulated hook or other operating means. The arm 3| is curved so that the line of centers 3833 can pass the axis of shaft l2, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The lever I3 is pivotally connected at 33 to the arm 3l. A latch 34 is pivoted to arm 3| to engage with member 5 and prevent accidental opening of the switch. The latch release 35 acts in the wellknown manner to release latch 34 when the switch is to be opened.

Operation is as follows. When theswitch is in closed position, the rollers l8-l3 are all at the high portions of the surfaces ll-l'l. An operating hook is inserted through ring 32 and its first action is to move latch release 35 and so disengage latch 34 from contact 5. Then as the ring 32 is pulled towards open position, the lever l3 and its supporting shaft l2 are rotated about the axis of l2. To reach the fully open position as shown in Fig. 2, the arm 3| hasto pass across the axis of the blade hinge; this is possible since the hinge consists of the two pins III which have open space between them.

In the full-line position in Fig. 3, the line of centers 30-33 is beyond the line of centers 30-42. As the arm 3, is moved, these two lines of centers coincide; and then they separate again as the arm 3| and its pivot 33 are moved towards the dotted-line position. There is enough play between the various moving parts to give free action, and the members can be moved between the two positions indicated in Fig. 3 without materially changing the position of the axis of shaft l2. However, as the pivot 33 moves toward the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 3, the rotation of lever I3 and shaft 12 also rotates the collars l4, l4 which are supported on the squared portions of shaft l2, and therefore the'rollers l8l8 are moved from the high to the lower portions of the surfaces l1-I,1. This releases the heavy pressure of the collars l6 against the aration from one another, so that when the rollers l8l8 ride up on the inclined faces 87-41 the bars II, II are pressed towards one another,

thereby exerting contact pressure at hinge and jaws. The curved shape of arm 3| allows the line of centers 3D-33 to be moved through and past the shaft 12 (though the arm 31 itself never touches shaft l2) and this allows the arm 3| to move the lever l3 through considerable rotation after the closing motion of the blades has been completed. 7 V

When the switch is being closed reverse motions occur. By the time the ring 32 has reached. the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the blades 9, 9 have substantially completed their rotative motion to their closed position, but there is negligible contact pressur between blades 9, 9. and contacts 4 and 5. Motion of the ring 32 from the dotted line position to the position shown in full lines rotates shaft l2 and with it the cups l4, It, so that the rollers |8i8 are forced to roll from the lower to the higher positions on inclined surfaces l'l-l'l. This forces bars H H together slightly and so heavy pressure is developed between blades. 9, 9 and contacts 4 and 5. The screws l9--l9 and the nuts l5, l provide adjusting means to obtain whatever pressure is desired.

The inclined surfaces and the rollers may be transposed if desired, other means for adjusting their relative positions might readily be made,

and various modifications of other details may be mad without departing from the purpose and spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon the said hinge contact and cooperable with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including a blade, a pressure bar connected to the blade and operable to force'the blade against the two said contacts, a lever pivotally mounted upon th said blade intermediate the said hinge and jaw contacts and operable to force the said pressure 'bar against the said blade; together with an operating arm pivotally mounted upon the said first support at a fixed space from the said hinge pivot, a pivotal connection between the swing ends of the said operating arm and the said lever, and means to move the said operating arm to open or close the switch.

' 2. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and'a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon the said hinge contact and c-ooperable with th said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including two blades, a shaft pivotally mounted between the said blades, 2; lever'secured to the said shaft and operable to force the blades towards one another; together with an operating arm pivotally mounted adjacent to and at a fixed distance from the said hinge pivot, a pivotal connection adjacent the swing ends of and between the said operating arm and the said lever, and means to move the operating arm to open or to close the switch.

3. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon the said hinge contact and cooperabl with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including two blades, a shaft pivotally mounted between the said blades, a lever secured to the said shaft and operable to force the blades towards one another; together with a curved operating arm pivotally mounted upon the said first support at a fixed distance from the said hinge pivot, and a pivotal connection adjacent the swing ends of and between the said lever and the said operating arm, the said curved operating arm being movable to position the line of centers between its said pivotal mounting and its said pivotal connection to either side of the axis of the said shaft.

4. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon the said hinge contact and cooperable with thesaid jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including a blade to bridge the said two contacts, a lever mounted on the blade on a pivotal shaft intermediate the two said contacts and operable by its rotation to create pressure between the said blade and the said contacts; together with an operating arm mounted on a fixed pivot remote from the said hinge pivot and with a pivotal connection to the swing portion of the said lever, and means to move the operating arm so that the line of centers between its said fixed pivot and its said pivotal connection shall pass beyond center relative to the axis of the said pivotal shaft.

5. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a forked hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by two hinge pivots upon the said forked hinge contact and cooperable with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including two blades, a shaft pivotally mounted between the blades, a lever secured to the shaft and operable to force the two blades towards one another; together with an operating arm mounted on a pivot at a fixed space from the said hinge pivot and movable between the said two blades and between the hinge pivots on the said forked contact, a pivotal connection between and adjacent to the swing ends of the said lever and the said operating arm, and'means to move the operating arm to open or close the switch.

5. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a forked hing contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by two hinge pivots upon the said forked hinge contact and cooperable with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including two blades to bridge the said contacts, a rotatable shaft mounted upon the blades intermediate the said contacts, a lever fixed to the shaft and operable by its-rotation to bias the blades against the said contacts; together with a curved operating arm mounted on the said first support on a stationary pivot remote from the said two hinge pivots, and a pivotal connection between the swing portions of the said operating arm and the said lever, and means to move the said operating arm from its open switch position between the said two hinge pivots to its closed switch position wherein the line of centers of the said stationary pivot and the said pivotal connection to the lever is beyond center relative to the axis of the said shaft.

'7. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon-the said hinge contact and cooperable with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including a, blade spanning the two said contacts, a shaft rotatably mounted upon the blade intermediate the said contacts, pressure means operable by rotation of the shaft to increase th pressure between the blade and the said contacts, the said pressure means including a multiplicity of rollers and coordinated inclined surfaces spaced around the axis of the shaft, the relative positions between said rollers and inclined surfaces being altered by rotation of the said shaft to increase or to decrease the pressure between the said blade and the said contacts, together with adjusting means to alter rotatively the normal relative positions of the said rollers and inclined surfaces.

8. In an electric switch, two spaced insulated supports, a hinge contact mounted upon the first support and a jaw contact mounted upon the second support, a switch arm structure mounted by a hinge pivot upon the said hinge contact and cooperable with the said jaw contact; the said switch arm structure including a blade to span the said two contacts, a rigid pressure bar adjacent th blade and operable to force the blade against both of aid contacts, a shaft rotatably mounted on the blade intermediate the contacts, a lever secured to the shaft, connecting means between the shaft and the pressure bar whereby rotation of the lever forces the pressure bar towards the blade and the contacts, the said connecting means including a multiplicity of rollers and coordinated inclined surfaces; together with an operating arm mounted on the said first support upon a pivot at a fixed space from the said hinge pivot, a pivotal connection between the swing portions of the said operating arm and the said lever, and means to move th operating arm and thereby open and close the switch.

WILLIAM A. GUSSOW. 

